The Senate will today debate on whether to
grant President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for
a six-month extension on the state of
emergency currently in place in Adamawa,
Borno and Yobe States.
The president’s request for the extension of
emergency rule came just as the All
Progressives Congress (APC) disagreed with the
federal government’s stance not to compensate
victims of Boko Haram killings dating back to
2009.
In separate letters to the Senate and the House
of Representatives, the president asked the
lawmakers to review the period of the
emergency as the first six months he declared in
May, ends November.
Section 305(6)(c) of the 1999 Constitution
states that the proclamation of a state of
emergency will elapse after a period of six
months from the day of approval, except the
period is extended by the National Assembly.
Consequently, in view of the fact that the
current emergency rule will expire on November
12, the president has conveyed a letter which
was read on the floor of the senate Wednesday.
Part of the president’s letter that was read by
Senate President David Mark said: “As a result
of the laudable efforts of our security agencies,
and the support of the citizens in the affected
areas, we have achieved considerable success in
containing the activities of the terrorist
elements. However, some security challenges
still exist in some few parts.
“Consequently, it has become pertinent to
request the approval of the distinguished senate
for an extension of the state of emergency for a
further period of six months, during which time,
it is expected that normalcy would have been
fully restored.
“In view of the foregoing, I most respectfully
request the distinguished senate to consider and
approve by resolution the extension of the
proclamation of the state of emergency by a
further period of six months with effect from
12th of November 2013.”
Emergency rule was declared in the three states
on May 14, to curtail the violent activities of the
Boko Haram sect which has killed thousands of
people in attacks on security forces, religious
houses, schools, and private residences.
At the time, opposition to emergency rule was
canvassed by the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN), which has since merged with other
parties to form the APC.
Also, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, among
other groups, had also expressed their
opposition to emergency rule.
In a related incident yesterday, opposition APC
disagreed with the federal government’s stance
not to compensate victims of Boko Haram
killings dating back to 2009, when the mindless
killings by the terrorist sect started.
The party said such a decision, if upheld, would
amount to double failure on the part of the
federal government and double jeopardy for the
victims.
In a statement issued by the interim National
Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, the party
said the killings and maiming have occurred
because the federal government failed in its
most important task of ensuring the security of
lives and property.
He said the same government that failed to live
up to the main reason for its existence, which is
the security and welfare of the citizenry, is now
failing to provide succour for the victims of its
own failure.
“This constitutes double irresponsibility on the
part of the government, and double jeopardy
for the thousands of victims who have been
killed and wounded by the insurgents.
“After the people were victimised by Boko
Haram, they are now being victimised by their
government. This is unacceptable, and President
Jonathan must have a rethink. The APC believes
that the issue of compensation for victims of
Boko Haram should not be subject to any
debate.
“All victims of the Boko Haram insurgency must
be compensated without delay. They must be
given succour. They must be made to feel that
their government cares for them. Compensation
cannot bring back the thousands who have been
killed. But it can provide succour for the
children, parents, brothers, sisters and other
family members they left behind.
“Compensation cannot remove the scars on
those who have lost limbs or become blinded
due to the effect of gunshots or bombs, but it
can help them to restart their lives and to know
that they are not alone in their ordeal,” the
party’s chairman said.
APC’s statement came on the back of the
condemnation Tuesday by United Nations High
Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) of the
bloody attack by the sect on a wedding convoy
in Borno State at the weekend.
The UN human rights office stated that with the
ongoing atrocities of the sect, its members could
be classified as war criminals.
“Members of Boko Haram and other groups and
entities, if judged to have committed
widespread or systematic attacks against a
civilian population ... (could be) guilty of crimes
against humanity," AFP quoted Cecile Pouilly,
spokeswoman for UNHCR.
Pouilly called the attack on the wedding convoy
“atrocious” and condemned Boko Haram's
campaign of “cowardly attacks” against civilians,
politicians, members of government institutions,
foreigners and the security forces.
“We are also following up closely with the
Nigerian authorities allegations of abuses and
human rights violations which may have been
committed by security forces when conducting
operations,” said Pouilly.
She noted that the Nigerian military was in the
process of finalising a report on people detained
in connection with the insurgency, and urged
the government to disclose its findings.
Meanwhile, security forces on Tuesday killed at
least seven Boko Haram insurgents in Borno
State.
Vehicles, explosives and weapons were also
recovered when security forces raided a camp of
the insurgents in Bama, a town where attacks
have been on the rise in recent months, Xinhua,
the Chinese agency, quoted army spokesperson
Mohammed Dole as saying.
He said several members of the group were also
injured in the successful raid launched on
Monday.




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